Halloween Reads: The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2

The long-awaited second volume of spooky tales to keep you up all night from Black Beacon Books...

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 creeps out of the coffin to pick up where the first volume left off. Seventeen scary stories from some of the most disturbing minds writing horror today. These tales of folk horror, psychological suspense, gothic romance, and cosmic terror will take you by the hand and lead into the darkest of worlds. There are possessed puppets, Lovecraftian terrors from the depths, polar predators, unsettled spirits, and most frightening of all, the madness of mankind. You'll take part in a séance alongside Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame, you'll experience a midnight tryst gone wrong in a moon garden, you'll discover terror in the trenches during the Great War, and you might just survive a holiday to Fiji if you're lucky. The settings and themes in this anthology are varied, but each tale has that one particular power in common; the power to send a delicious shiver of fright up your spine before you read the final line.

A Scary Interview with Dino Parenti

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order (LAST CHANCE TODAY!) at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Dino,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

Absolutely not! You might have to be a horrible person to DO horrible things, but to write horrible things simply requires being a patient observer of history and the human condition. The horror pretty much writes itself.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

That’s a long list. Just off the top of my head, Stephen Graham Jones, Tananrive Due, Josh Malerman, and Catriona Ward come to mind, but I always migrate back to Cormac McCarthy. Granted, he’s not known as a horror writer, but read Blood Meridian or The Road and tell me they don’t contain some of the most haunting images and passages ever written.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

I don’t require much. Some good wine, good friends, and a good scary movie.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up? 

I grew up and still live in Los Angeles, so I’m sure there are plenty since the place is so spread out with distinctive, smaller towns and neighborhoods. The Charles Manson killings were before I was born, but I remember well those several weeks in the mid-1980s when The Nightstalker was active and everyone was buying up all the door locks and home alarm systems in town. My parents kept freaking out each time I went out to play until he was caught.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I’m a terminal outliner. I’m also almost exclusively a morning writer, so each session, I go through what I wrote the morning before with a quick edit pass before writing the next bit, so by the time I have the first finished version of a piece, it’s really draft 1.5. If I write at all in the evenings, it’s only to edit.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

My only real writing training insofar as schooling goes was playwriting in college. I became a serious reader and fiction writer starting in my early thirties. So, if I have a heavy dialogue scene to write, I write it like a play—all dialogue with the most minimal of prose. 

Where can we find you online?

I’m on all the socials—Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky—all under my name, Dino Parenti. Simple, easy. I haven’t ventured into TikTok yet. Still waiting for someone to convince me to do so.

A Scary Interview with Diana Olney

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Diana,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

In my writing and reading experience, I would swap “horrible” for “haunted”. Horror comes in all shades and flavors, but the most poignant and memorable works of dark fiction draw from the dark ink of real wounds. That doesn’t necessarily mean that every tale has to be tragic, though. It is also possible to balance that inherent darkness with excitement, action, and sometimes even comedic tones.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

This list could stretch indefinitely. In classic literature, Slyvia Plath and Ted Hughes have been very influential, especially in my poetry. Contemporary hidden gems I revere include the visionary work of Kathe Koja, Emma Glass, and Candice Wuehle. In terms of famous authors and rising stars, I absolutely adore Julia Armfield, Gwendolyn Kiste, Richard Kadrey, CJ Leede, and Keith Rosson, especially their early short fiction.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

This is going to sound paradoxical, but a reading marathon in a sunlit cemetery on a Summer evening would be spectacular. BYOB (Bring Your Own Books!)

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

There is an abandoned, historic psychiatric facility not far from my abode in the Seattle area called Northern State Hospital, which I have explored, and can confirm to be wonderfully eerie. There is even an on-site crematorium.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Inspiration often speaks loudest to me when I am less distracted (including the chatter of my own thoughts), especially in liminal states like the phase between wakefulness and sleep. Sounds bizarre, but I’ve actually solved quite a few plot puzzles that way. So, I try to maintain an open mind in those moments, either by keeping pieces of a current WIP in the foreground, or listening for new ones. Let the words marinate and see if an epiphany comes.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

That’s a tough one, as the best way to get to know me is through my work. I don’t mention it often, but I am afflicted by hereditary bipolar disorder, though I am happy to report that writing has proved incredibly comforting and cathartic during rough periods. On a lighter (and softer) note, I am also an impassioned cat lover, whisperer, and cohort! All of my work is approved by my two furry assistants, who literally shadow me. This is less of a secret to those who have perused the compendium of cat photos on my social media, however.

Where can we find you online?

Official website: dianaolney.com or Instagram @dianaolneyauthor

A Scary Interview with Malina Douglas

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Malina,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

No, you don’t ! You can use fiction to play out scenarios that would never happen in real life, and you can write about bad things happening to people who are nothing like you, personally. I’ve met horror writers who are sweet, kind and fun to be around in real life. I do feel it’s important to separate fiction from real life. You don’t have to write yourself into the story unless you intend to.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

Celia Winter, Christine Hanosly and Louise Hughes write great horror. You can find their work on Gavagai.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

Going for a midnight picnic with red wine, crackers and camembert cheese. I tried this once years ago but my date got creeped out at beingin a park so late at night, so I intend to try it again.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Not that I know of… But I often research and write about folklore from various places.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Writing in the morning with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I find a lot of inspiration in water and watery places.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me on BlueSky and Substack @iridescentwords, or on my website, https://citrinesunstream.wixsite.com/iridescent/

A Scary Interview with Rob Nisbet

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Rob,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I like to think that I’m not a horrible person – I just have a horrible imagination!  I grew up with a love of sci-fi so there have always been strange creatures in my head.  Sci-fi depends on some concept to base the story on which can sometimes seem contrived.  Horror, however, allows a story to be told without any restraints.
 
Which horror writers do you admire?

My story ‘The Affair of the Third Clairvoyant’ definitely has a background nod to Lovecraft. Some of his stories are decidedly odd but his concept of beings indifferent to our existence is deservedly creepy. I’m not a fan of purely atmospheric tales – for me there has to be a discernible story which the atmosphere serves to highlight. I do like Susan Hill, with The Man in the Picture and The Woman in Black being favourites. Edith Nesbit (different spelling, so no relation), famous for The Railway Children, may be a name not associated with horror, but I’d recommend seeking out some of her short stories.
 
Your perfect horror-themed night in?

As a youngster, my parents would allow me and my two brothers to occasionally stay up late to watch the classic Hammer horror films. No streaming or videos back then. They were shown beyond bedtime, many in black-and-white (or perhaps that was just our TV). This was a treat for us – every kid likes to be scared, just a little, in the safety of their own home.
 
Do you have any writing rituals?

Two spring to mind. Firstly, I tend to write everything in longhand. Not having to think about the process of typing, I find, helps when I’m trying to be creative.  hen I type-up what I’ve written, hopefully improving it as I do so. Then I hone and edit until I’m happy. Secondly, I’m a planner. I have to know the whole story in my head before I write anything down. Usually I will know the final paragraph or sentence so I have an ending to aim for. I envy people who can just sit down and write without knowing where the story is going. I can’t do that.
 
Share something that your readers don’t know.

I keep chickens in the garden - rescue birds that have outlived an egg farmer’s expectations. They are usually in a weak and bedraggled state. Rather than have them end-up in cat food or ‘nuggets’, they can flourish and live for several more years. And any eggs they care to bestow are a bonus.
 
Where can we find you online?

I’m a dinosaur when it comes to technology. Though I can be found on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/12097189.Rob_Nisbet

A Scary Interview with Stuart Olver

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Stuart,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I hope that by scratching out my darkest thoughts onto paper, I become a less horrible person!

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

Classic: Edgar Allan Poe-poetry wrapped in dread; Modern: Richard Laymon-lurid, violent, sick, twisted. Perfect!

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

Watching creepypasta/analogue horror shorts on YouTube with my son. With maybe a single malt at hand…

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

In Zulu and Khosa folklore from South Africa, the small, hairy, goblin-like Tokoloshe will get you when you sleep, unless you elevate your bed with bricks so that he can’t reach you.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I take an exercise book on holiday and write a page a day, whether in a hotel room, passing the time on a tour bus, or watching the ocean go by from a bench on a cruise ship.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I recently retired from my career as a research scientist, and now work as a school crossing supervisor just 2 minutes from home.

Where can we find you online?

I have a Facebook profile, or try Dawn Till Dusk Publishing, where you’ll find lots of yummy coffee table books published by my brother Rob and I.

A Scary Interview with L.P. Ring

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi L.P.

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I always think of actors saying they love playing villains when I hear this question. A lot of people like playing around in the sandbox when it comes to ‘horrible things’ so isn’t it nice to be a little psychopathic and put some ‘people’ through the wringer.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

My favorite horror novels are Ghost Story by Peter Straub and The Terror by Dan Simmons. I’m a big Stephen King fan too, though far from a completist, and I actually find a lot of his stuff from this century – Duma Key, Revival, The Outsider – easily as enjoyable as his earlier, more consistently admired works. More recently, I’ve been reading a lot of Laird Barron, Thomas Ligotti, and John Langan. Langan’s book The Fisherman is being pitched as a potential film from David Lowery (who directed The Green King) and that combination is extremely exciting.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

A couple of beers or a few glasses of red, a nice casserole or stew, the lights out, and a rewatch of a classic horror film – The Shining, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jaws, Invasion of the Body Snatchers…

Hitting fifty this year so most of my horrors are fairly cosy.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

I live in Japan now where there are a lot of abandoned houses and spooky stories. Thinking of back home, fairy forts are a bit of a mainstay of Irish culture. I also have a childhood memory of my mom driving us past a house which she referred to as ‘haunted’, so I guess an interest in all things spooky caught me early.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I love sitting at a window where I can look outside – the break from the (occasionally) blank page can be a great reviver. Also to have some music on in the background. For some reason, harpsichord pieces caught my fancy a few years ago and I’m a big fan of having horror movie soundtracks on as well. And I often wear headphones so as not to annoy my wife.

Where can we find you online?

I’m really not online much anymore though I do check BlueSky occasionally: lpring.bsky.social

A Scary Interview with Esme Lee Wilmot

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Esme,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

No, you just have to have met horrible people. OK, perhaps I’m only half joking, but I do think this rings true for anyone who has experienced bullying. I think that I write horror to rationalise and debunk my own fears or to process events from the past. I have always felt drawn to the dark and strange or to the things I don’t understand. Darkness is inherent to human nature and society, and I believe this should be acknowledged rather than ignored. Fiction is a good way to explore this.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

I admire Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson and Shaun Hamill for the originality of their ideas, the quality of their writing and their ability to invoke real unease or fear in the reader.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

A fancy-dress Halloween party with lots of spooky decorations, a Halloween playlist, and horror-themed food and drink is my idea of fun.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Sadly, no!

Do you have any writing rituals?

A coffee and a silent house normally do the trick. Sometimes I might play a bit of Radiohead or burn essential oils, but I try to minimise distractions so I can become immersed in the story I’m writing.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I have been told that I come across as confident. This blows my mind, as I consider myself quite a fearful person (hence, writing horror to face my fears). It has taken a long time to build up my self-esteem, and even now I’m still plagued by self-doubt, particularly with the writing.

Where can we find you online?

https://www.facebook.com/esmeleewilmotwriter
https://www.instagram.com/esme_lee_wilmot_writer/

A Scary Interview with David Schembri

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi David,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

It’s such a common misconception when one thinks that a particular author would need to have the personality of which they would write. Actors playing evil antagonists on the stage and screen are not evil at heart ; they're acting. It’s their profession. They study the role, research the origins, do interviews, read material and get a sense of how the character would behave, and put all of that into their performance. That’s what a horror writer does. To write in any genre, one researches, reads the genre and dives deep into the characters they create, and sculpts their work accordingly. To provide a simple example, I will never write a romance story, however in life, I am a romantic person at heart.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

I’m a little on the cliché with this one. I am a strong Stephen King fan and loved also reading the works of Richard Laymon and Clive Barker. I also love J RR Tolkien and JK Rowling. The worlds in which I’d dived into with their works had left me with life-long inspiration, and I have been known to re-read their books.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

My perfect horror-themed night in would be getting together with my mates and playing a horror RPG. Snacks, drinks, creepy ambiant music, an excellent GM, a dam scary story and no time limit. This is my idea of horror-themed heaven.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Setting myself in a quiet spot, dim the lights, perhaps some snacks or a cup of tea, research/reference material at hand, ambient music is a must, and a warm rug on my lap.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

What readers probably don’t know about me yet is that I’m a musican. I love playing the guitar and singing. I also have been writing my own music ever since I was in early high school. I would like to share my music in the future when I get my solo album finished. I was in a four-piece rock band in the 90s and we played a few venues around Melbourne. Music, like art and writing, has and always will be a part of me.

Where can we find you online?

Feel welcome to visit my website at: davidschembri.net I am also on Facebook and have my author’s page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063595146407

A Scary Interview with David Turnbull

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi David,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I'd say to write horrible things you need to be aware of horrible things and exactly why they are horrible, which is miles better than someone who does horrible things and is oblivious to what a horrible person they are.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

I'm a sucker for Stephen King. The first thing I read of his was Salem's Lot. I was a big fan of Dracula but the main characters - a lawyer, a professor, a doctor, a Lord - all seemed a bit far removed from the world I knew. King's characters were ordinary people in a small town, which made the notion of vampires all the more scary. King's novels usually come out in Autumn which means I usually end up with his latest outing for my birthday gift in November.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

In the town of Selkirk in the Scottish borders where I grew up, there's a story of a poor old woman called Tibby Tampson who stole a ball of wool and was denounced by her neighbours as a witch. She was unjustly put to death. The stone rolled over her unmarked grave in the hills allegedly cracked when it was struck by lightning. There is a marker there and people leave coins wedged in the crack for good luck. As a kid it I used to have nightmares about going to visit the stone and being chased over the hills by Tibby on her broomstick. 

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

In another life I was the officer in Unite the Union responsible for the Fair Tips Campaign. I coordinated strike action in TGI Fridays and campaigns in Pizza Express for the fair distribution of tips and helped change the law concerning tip and service charge allocation.

Where can we find you online?

You can find my regular Substack London Fantastical here  London Fantastical | David Turnbull | Substack

A Scary Interview with Robert Runté

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Robert,

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

I like John Linwood Grant’s An Unkindness of Shadows, Ain’t No Witch, and Occult Detective Magazine--though those might be more weird than horror, per se? And of course, I have to mention Premee Mohamed, the Canadian author whose The Butcher of the Forest (to take just one example) is blindingly brilliant.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

The local museum is said to be haunted (it started out as the local hospital), as is the old 1900s-era theatre where my kids attended acting camps. Does that count? I’ve written a few stories based on my family’s history with ghosts, though none of those were strictly horror—mostly just encounters with recently dead relatives announcing their passing a continent away from where they passed, before word reached us in the more conventional ways.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I need a specific tea to write. For several decades, it was David’s Tea’s (Montreal-based Canadian chain) “Chocolate Chili Chai”, but they discontinued it, leading to a long dry period for my creativity. I experimented with two dozen other brands’ variation on the theme, but nothing else came close. I eventually found Creative Tea & Herbal Products’ (Elora, Ontario) “Chocolate Chili Pepper” which I have grown to love even more than the original David’s Tea. Unfortunately, Creative Tea is strictly a wholesaler, so I have to go to McQuarrie's Tea & Coffee Merchants in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, about 8 hours from where I live. The round trip is worth the drive for the boost to my writing output. The rest of the time I drink teas my almost-son-in-law brings back from his trips to China.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I need people to understand that I am not mansplaining. There is no gender bias in me; I pontificate at everyone equally. Pontification is not just a professional hazard as a retired professor, but reflects that as neurodivergent editor and author, I’ve done deep dives on a great number of ridiculously obscure topics as part of my job. Consequently, I know stuff. If I am spouting, unasked, on some topic you do not wish to hear about, you can stop me using the magic phrase, “Will this be on the test?” (That works to deflate most educations mid-spiel.)

Where can we find you online?

I’m still on Facebook (Dr.Robert Runte), though the medium is becoming so toxic, it’s driving more and more of us elsewhere. My websites are SFEditor.ca, EssentialEdits.ca, and I blog at “I’m Not Boring You, Am I?” at https://runte.blogspot.com/ My Amazon page is https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Runte/author/B07CZ12GNL

A Scary Interview with Mike Adamson

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Mike,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

Interesting point! I would say there is no call to be a horrible person to write horrible things, but I would have to ask whether some such things would ever be welcome in a mind that wasn’t at least touched in some way by darkness. Writing horror, as surely as painting horror, can be used to exorcise dark things that would otherwise take hold and damage the mind. But all things are relative. Horror is a spectrum, after all, and a very wide one at that, and one can dabble in it without wading hip-deep in the mire, as it were.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

I recently explored the writings of Arthur Machen, which was certainly interesting—one sees where Lovecraft got some of his inspirations. Charles Dickens and H G Wells could each have quite the streak of horror about them at times, more than is popularly associated with their names.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Oh, you mean like The Witch-Tree of Trinity Churchyard? I was born in the northeast of England, and not far from where we lived was an old church with a spreading tree right outside its front doors. Legend said that it was a witch who, hundreds of years ago, was pursued by torch-wielding peasants. She ran to the church to appeal for sanctuary but was refused, and on that very spot she transformed herself into a tree to escape her tormenters. The interesting corolary to this is that vandals torched the church in 1987 or so, and it’s a burnt-out ruin to this day. The only thing that wouldn’t burn—was the tree. She had the last laugh!

Do you have any writing rituals?

I do my writing on a laptop, in a rocking chair in the corner of the lounge—it’s the quietest place in the house, and I’m one of those writers who needs peace and quiet. I develop a narrative from notes, including a rough run of scenes, which helps me keep the material under control and properly paced. I log my wordage daily, and record the start and end dates for every story, as a way of tracking my productivity. I keep an organised list of my fiction output.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

Forty years ago I trained as a scuba diver, worked briefly with dolphins and soon after went to university to be a marine biologist. My writings at the time were centred on cetacean intelligence and underwater futurism, but being a professional writer was only a distant dream. Nevertheless, my first published short story was underwater SF on a cetacean theme and appeared in the long-gone Australian magazine Underwater Geographic, for whom I was, for a while, their marine mammal correspondent.

Where can we find you online?

The best place for all things Mike Adamson is my flag-carrier website The Worlds of Mike Adamson. It has pages for all my writing areas—science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery and so forth, with special pages for my copious Sherlock Holmes output and my epic sci-fi Tales of the Middle Stars universe. Find it at https://dream-craft.com/mikeadamson/

A Scary Interview with Matthew R. Davis

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Matthew,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

Of course. We’re all complete shits. Seriously? In my experience, horror writers tend to be kind, thoughtful, inclusive, and just generally the nicest of people, so no – whilst an occasional arsehole will be outed, the opposite tends to be true…as I suspect (and expect) you already know!

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

How much space do you have? Let’s restrict this to the current year’s reading for brevity’s sake, or we’ll be here all week. Kirstyn McDermott has stepped into mainstream Gothic thrillers with What the Bones Know and everyone should go buy it. Sarah Langan’s Trad Wife is just brilliant, top-shelf stuff. Johanna van Veen has put out three grim queer historical novels thus far and her latest, Bone of My Bone, is the best yet. Alan Moore continues his high standard with I Hear a New World, the second book in a fantasy series that is incredibly imaginative and very funny when it’s not terrifying. Solace House by Will Maclean is a substantial and gripping take on cryptic dark academia, for all that it takes place off campus between semesters. Some other authors I’ve been enjoying in 2026: Matt Dinniman, Chris Chibnall, Nat Cassidy, Gemma Amor, Jeff Clulow, qntm, Delilah S. Dawson, Eric LaRocca, Angela Slatter, Charles L. Grant, Elaine Cunningham, Ian McDonald, Daniel Kraus, Gretchen Falker-Martin, Daisy Pearce, and Ramsey Campbell. Yes, I read a lot.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

I don’t know about perfect, but I always enjoy taking my partner Meg out to The Bonfire Horror Club movie screenings, which include local merch stalls, prizes, and themed cocktails for each film – the last one we saw was Possession (1981), which, oddly enough, is namedropped in my contribution to this anthology! I just wish we had more time before and after the feature to hang out with our like-minded friends.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Just stuff like the story that went around my small-town primary school about a bearded man who would park outside the grounds with lipstick on and try to lure kids into his car, which I doubt had any factual basis. Meg thinks she might have seen something in our kitchen once, probably the house’s only previous tenant, but otherwise life is depressingly unghostly.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I sacrifice time on the altar of creativity with the obsidian knife of talent. Things have changed a little since you last asked me this question: I don’t take smoke breaks anymore, cats are always looking to come into my office, I will sometimes listen to music as I work like I used to back in the day, and I find myself going out to various locations to write and edit in a different environment – usually a library, but the novel I’m editing at the moment was written in hotels, airplanes, theatres, trains, and stranger places.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

My story in this book, “An Eye is Upon You”, was inspired by my experiences working at the Illuminate Adelaide festival in 2023, especially my last night at the Queen’s Theatre. The photo I’m using for this interview is a screengrab from one of the exhibits that plays a role in my tale. I wanted to call this tale “Izzy’s Golden Wrap”, but that sounded too much like one of my other titles, so I borrowed the name of the intro track from Powerman 5000’s Tonight the Stars Revolt!

Where can we find you online?

Lurking in the darkest corners of the web, waiting for innocent flies to wander in. Or just at my blog (matthewrdavisfiction.wordpress.com), or Facebook, or BlueSky: @mxrxdx.bsky.social…but not on OnlyFans, despite what Meg says, because things haven’t gotten quite that desperate yet.

A Scary Interview with Cameron Trost

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Cameron,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

That is indeed a classic question to hurl at a horror writer, and we welcome it in much the same way as the defenders of a castle would have welcomed a rock flung at them by their foe's trebuchet! Robert Bloch famously said: "I am really a very lovable person, as my friends tell me—or they would, if I had any friends. Deep down underneath it all I have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar, on my desk." I answer this question with a mirror, not a jar. A truly disturbing horror story, or for that matter, a tale belonging to any genre, should not only entertain and enthrall, but also work as a mirror. The horror writer owes it to his readership to explore the darkest depths of the human mind, where primitive impulses and instincts lurk, hidden from sight behind fake smiles and social pleasantries. If you want to throw vampires, cosmic terrors, or a horde of zombies into your fiction as a vehicle to deliver dread to the reader's heart, go ahead and do that, but at the end of the day, you need to be holding a mirror up to show the reader where the horror has always come from since the dawn of mankind. In other words, the only thing horrible about a horror writer is that we get a devilish kick out of sending a shiver up our readers' spines, but once the last word of a story has been read and the shivers have started to fade, we expect our readers to keep asking themselves that question; where is it that horror calls home?   

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

As founding editor of Black Beacon Books, the answer is quite simply "our contributors". It's essentially why I began my own publishing house in the first place. There's nothing wrong with reading Stephen King, Graham Masterton, or Ramsey Campbell. These big names are talented writers with wonderful yarns to spin, but readers shouldn't be sheep, reading the same books as everyone else. They should be explorers...in fact, treasure hunters! Get out there and dig up all that hidden talent! You'll have to shovel a fair bit of dirt before striking it lucky, but that's the game. Of course, when you grab your copy of The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2, you'll find only precious gems!

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

I could describe dozens of thrilling ways to get the creative juices flowing and get the skin crawling, but there's one experience I've been meaning to have for years now. My home is now here in Brittany and this ancient land has endless offerings when it comes to mythical landscapes and haunted ruins. Above all, we have some of the world's most magnificent lighthouses standing guard along some of the world's most rugged coastline. I would love to spend a night in a lighthouse, during "the storm of the century" with nothing but a simple meal (perhaps including a tin of sardines), a bottle of whisky, an oil lamp, and a good stock of pens and paper. With the wind howling around the lighthouse and waves crashing against the granite boulders below, imagine the stories my storm-charged mind would summon out of the sea and the sky!     

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Where to begin! Folklore and tales of strange and dark beings drench the soil, possess the granite, and inhabit the woodlands of Brittany. Those of you who have read my work will know this. Dead on the Dolmen, my latest novel, pits Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable against a villain disguised as the Ankoù, the Breton Grim Reaper. There are legends galore set right here in my very own neck of the woods near Guérande. Merlin himself is said to have visited the area, and a miller (almost) sold his unborn son's soul to the Devil in exchange for a helping hand (claw?) building a windmill. In a land where Neolithic burial chambers stand side-by-side with Nazi bunkers, there are more legends than you can poke a shillelagh (or penn-bazh in Breton) at!  

Do you have any writing rituals?

I don't really. No. I wish writing in a lighthouse during a raging storm could become my ritual! My ideal day getting words down would start with a walk or a jog either along the rugged coast or through the marshes here on the Guérande peninsula, even if the weather is nasty... in fact, as you've probably worked out by now, I love it when the weather is dramatic. That's invariably reflected in my fiction. I'll sometimes jot a few words or ideas down while I'm out, but I have a good memory, so I'll mostly just keep the ideas in mind and know they'll unfurl once I get back home and switch the laptop on. A good mug of coffee in the morning and a drop of top-shelf whisky in the evening gets the awen going! Give me stormy weather, a fire in the wood burner, and a dram of the uisge beatha, and I'll give you a puzzling mystery or a chilling tale of terror. Deal? Sign here _______

Where can we find you online?

Almost everywhere! My full list of links is here: linktr.ee/camerontrost

Website: camerontrost.com

Amazon profile: amazon.com/author/camerontrost

Facebook page: facebook.com/camerontrostauthor

Goodreads listing: goodreads.com/camerontrost

A Scary Interview with Shelly Lyons

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Shelly,

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

I love a good haunted hayride or movie in the graveyard.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up? 

I grew up during the Night Stalker era. As I understood it, the satanic serial killer Richard Ramirez crawled through windows to murder (mostly) women, and his first victim was a 9-year-old girl. I always imagined him perched on the roof waiting for the one night I forgot to latch my window.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Coffee.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I had an insane ouija board experience at 13. I imagine it’s quite common for horror authors.

Where can we find you online?

Most of my links are on shellylyons.com - On TikTok I’m DollTerror13.

A Scary Interview with Sam Dawson

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Sam,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

To write them, no. To do them, yes.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

Lots. So many, in fact, that some may not have received the recognition they deserved. Examples might include the prolific Robert Westall, who never let his readers down, and science-fiction writer Keith Roberts, who, in The Scarlet Lady, penned the ultimate haunted car story.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

Probably spending the night somewhere said to be haunted, and where horrible things are meant to happen, or have happened. Preferably deep in the countryside or underground, and beginning with a trip to the nearest pub, where the locals will try to warn you off.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Yes, the Buckland Shag, a hairy great beast that reputedly perched on a boulder in the Shag Brook and occasionally roughed up passing farmers returning home at night from market days, having refused the general advice to stay in town and travel in the morning. It sounds rather like an innkeeper’s invention, or an excuse offered to their wives when they returned home soaked, intoxicated and penniless after carousing their earnings away, but it was taken seriously enough for the local vicar to have the stone uprooted, carted to the coast and thrown off a cliff. After which there were no further sightings of the alleged Shag.

Do you have any writing rituals?

No, just tea. Lots of tea.

Where can we find you online?

Website: https://www.sam-dawson.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.dawson.31924
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21686706.Sam_Dawson

A Scary Interview with Rodney Hatfield Jr.

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Rodney,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

You don't have to be a horrible person to write horrible things. In fact, the opposite is often true for writers like me. Horror, creepypasta, and dark fiction are acts of imagination and empathy, exploring the shadows so readers can confront fears, process trauma, or just get a thrilling rush in a safe way. I draw from life in the coal fields of southern West Virginia, my own battles with autism, depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, panic disorder, and sensory sensitivities. Those don't make me "horrible", they give me authentic material for suspense, unease, and the weird corners of the human experience. Writing the monstrous lets me externalize it, play with it, and often inject dark humor or absurdity into an otherwise horrific situation. Plenty of the kindest, most gentle people I know write the darkest stuff. It's catharsis, craftsmanship, and entertainment. The real "horrible" people usually don't need fiction, they just live it. My goal is simpler: entertain, unsettle, and maybe make someone laugh while their skin crawls.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

Edgar Allan Poe — Obvious and eternal.
Thomas Ligotti — Philosophical nightmare fuel. Weird, existential, and bleak in the best way.
Algernon Blackwood — Classic weird fiction with nature-as-menace vibes.
Ramsey Campbell — Modern Master of Urban and psychological decay.
Paul Tremblay — Modern voice doing fresh takes on grief, and home-invasion terror.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

I don’t people, unless it is something I need to do. My place somewhere in the mountains of West Virginia. Sitting on the porch with a large tea, and the darkness. Fog rolling in off the hills, distant sounds of wildlife (that is what we tell the tourists), and that crisp night air that smells like damp leaves, dark earth, and old country memories. No bright city lights to ruin the mood, just the weak porch light buzzing with moths and the occasional creak of the house settling.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

You have to be joking. I live in the only state that is entirely inside the Appalachian Mountains. I have written Wild and Feral West Virginia. Field Guide to Cryptids, Myths, and Legends from the WV Book Company. It will be out sometime before the end of the year. It has 91 random entries.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I do most of my writing in my dungeon. It sounds cooler than it is. It is a large closet with an armchair, a table, laptop, stein full of tea, and a single light. It is the quietest place in the house.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

My brain is basically a bingo card of mental hurdles, and I’ve learned to treat it like a chaotic superpower rather than just a list of diagnoses. Aspie (High Functioning Autism), panic/anxiety disorder, Hypochondriac, ADHD, OCD, Sensory sensitivity, Haphephobia, Depression, SPD (Sensory processing disorder), Oppositional defiant disorder, Mild Agoraphobia, Aquaphobia, Manic, Lilapsophobia. Think about trying to live with all these at a time when it wasn’t common knowledge.

Where can we find you online?

https://www.facebook.com/RodneyHatfieldJr
https://creepypasta.com: Stories under Rodney Hatfield Jr in their archives.
https://x.com/hatfield23686
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rodney-Hatfield/author/B06XRTBWHN

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47002563.Rodney_Hatfield_Jr_

A Scary Interview with Jeff Wood

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Jeff,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I won’t speak for others, but I think there’s a certain amorality to writers, horror or otherwise. I’m not saying writers have no morals (although…), but rather, a writer is willing to examine all possibilites and motivations, no matter how dark (or light). In other words, a writer doesn’t let morality blind them of their darkest notions. They explore everything.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

He’s not a horror writer, but Ray Bradbury has an ability to start you off in the everyday world, and subtly twist the details so that mundane objects and events take on fresh meanings. He inserts the uncanny into the everyday. It’s magical realism, even if no one ever calls it that. A huge influence.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

I like the weeks just before Halloween, when horror books and movies dominate conversation and media. You’re allowed to binge three horror movies a night on your safe, comfortable couch next to your wife.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

I grew up in Iowa, with cornfields everywhere. Cornfields look pretty, but they are genuinely scary places. Animals (including lots of rats and who knows what else) are scurrying around making unsettling scuttling noises. You can’t see them, only hear them. Corn itself is said to make a rustling sound at it grows. In addition to the sounds, by mid-July the cornstalks are so high you can’t see what’s right in front of you, and it’s difficult to walk. So: can’t see well, mobility is limited, and you are surrounded by unidentifiable noises. Deeply liminal, disturbing places.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Sit down with my laptop to write every morning, after coffee. Doesn’t matter where. Just show up, every morning. I don’t get ideas about writing unless I’m actively writing.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I once hitchhiked from Iowa to New York City, by way of Canada and the Great Lakes (that’s a really long distance, if you’re not from here!). A true adventure.

Where can we find you online?

My Substack, The Oort Cloud, can be found at
https://jeffwood.substack.com/
My website is at https://jeffmwood.com/

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 - Proof Copy

Look what rocked up today! The proof copy of The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2, out this October, is here and it's looking fantastic. Grisette, our familiar, simply can't keep her paws off it! With cover art by the steadfast Greg Chapman and seventeen stories from the darkest imaginations penning horror fiction today, Halloween 2026 won't be worth celebrating without the latest anthology brought to you by Black Beacon Books.

Pre-order your Kindle copy today for just $1.99.

Seventeen Scary Stories

We kept you up all night with the spooky tales in The Black Beacon Book of Horror and Samhain Screams, and we'll be doing it again in October 2026. Right in time for Halloween! 

As always, and perhaps even more so than usual, choosing a handful of tales to publish from the roughly two hundred we received was a challenge. We managed to narrow it down to these seventeen scary stories. 

Black Beacon Books is proud to announce the table of contents for The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2...

Floop by Jeff Wood
The Crawling Ink by Rodney Hatfield Jr
The Weathervane by Sam Dawson
How are they Holding the Silverware? by Shelly Lyons
Miranda's Moon Garden by Cameron Trost
An Eye is Upon You by Matthew R. Davis
A Darkness at Devil Reef by Mike Adamson
Summoning Demons by Robert Runté
In the House of the Seamstress by David Turnbull
In Her Eyes They Will Scream by David Schembri
Grace by Esme Lee Wilmot
Your King and Country Want You by L. P. Ring
The Ice Lions by Stuart Olver
The Affair of the Third Clairvoyant by Rob Nisbet
An Elegy on the Lossie by Malina Douglas
Countdown to Prom Night by Diana Olney
Volume 7 by Dino Parenti